Surgical dressing



Nov. 22, 1966 L. D. KURTZ ETAL 3,286,713

SURGICAL DRESSING Filed Feb. 23, 1965 BY O Z W D w ATTORNEYS United States Patent lice 3,286,713 SURGICAL DRESSING Leonard D. Kurtz, Woodmere, N.Y., and Robert H. Smith, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to Delmatel, Inc. Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,225 7 Claims. (Cl. 128-156) This invention relates to an improved surgical dressing and more particularly to a dressing designed to surround any tubular object which leaves the body.

Previous dressings of this type did not completely cover the entire skin area immediately surrounding the opening from which a tubular device left the body. As a result, the uncovered skin of-ten became irritated. In addition, these previous dressings would often slip oif and leave the entire skin area uncovered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a surgical dressing which will lock around any tubular device which leaves the body, in such a manner as to prevent the dressing from slipping off of the tubular device.

A further object is to provide a dressing which protects the entire skin area immediately surrounding the opening through which the tubular device leaves the body.

Another object is to provide such a dressing that can be readily changed without having to remove the tubular device from the body.

Still a further object is to provide a dressing of the type described which is easily manufactured and at low cost.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure which includes a description of a preferred embodiment shown in the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing the dressing unfolded;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the dressing which also shows the tubular object of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing the dressing unfolded;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation showing the dressing in position next to the body; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing the dressing in the open position.

A surgical dressing 1, according to the present invention has an opening designated in general as 2 through which a tubular object 3 may pass. The dressing 1 is formed of a sheet 4 having a longitudinal axis. For convenience, sheet 4 is shown rectangular; however, it may be oval or any other convenient shape. Sheet 4 may be any suitable absorbent material such as gauze, thin plastic foam sponge, wet strength non-woven fabric, etc. The sheet 4 has two apertures 5 which are spaced apart and located along the longitudinal axis. The apertures 5 are both spaced approximately the same distance from their respective ends of sheet 4. The sheet 4 is severed in two places so as to produce two slits 6. The slits 6 may be parallel and they extend from apertures 5 to the nearest respective outermost end. The slits 6 preferably form an angle of approximately 45 with the longitudinal axis; although the angle may be varied considerably provided that the slits 6 lie on opposite sides Patented Nov. 22, 1966 of the axis. In addition the slits 6 should not correspond with the axis; however, slits 6 may be parallel to the axis.

The dressing 1 may conveniently be sold or stored in the form described above. In actual use the sheet 4 must be folded substantially in half (along crease line 7) so that apertures 5 are in alignment. Of course, the dressing could be prefolded and stored as folded.

The dressing 1 need not be formed of one piece of absorbent material folded in half. The dressing could easily be made from two separate pieces of absorbent material which are placed together, perforated, and then severed along a line extending from the perforation to an outer edge. ment. Then one of the pieces would be turned over and the two pieces of material attached together by any suitable method (e.g., by sewing, glueing, etc.) at the edges opposite those severed in forming the slit. This would result in a dressing as seen in FIGURE 4 wherein the two sheets 4 of absorbent material are attached together at 7 instead of merely being folded as shown.

In use, the dressing 1 is applied by gripping the opposite sides of the dressing somewhere slightly above (with respect to crease 7) the aperture 2 near the point designated as 8. Next, the two sides are gently pulled away from one another and slightly downward. In this manner, the two slits 6 are opened and the dressing 1 may easily be slid into place around tubular object 3. FIG- URE 5 shows the dressing in the open position. Upon releasing the sides, the dressing 1 springs back into its original position such that the slits 6 are again closed. With both slits 6 closed and with there being an angle between slits 6, the dressing 1 cannot accidentally slip off of the tubular object 3. In addition, the close-fitting double thickness dressing 1 grips or locks onto the tubular object 3 and thus prevents the dressing 1 from sliding down the tubular object 3 and away from the patients body where it is needed.

The removal of dressing 1 is quite simple. The sides are gripped and gently pulled, as described above, and the soiled dressing is then slid off of the object 3 and discarded.

Although this invention is successfully practiced in-the embodiment shown, it is to be understood that some variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention or the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A surgical dressing made of a sheet of absorbent material having a longitudinal axis, said material defining two apertures spaced apart and located along said axis, said material having two slits located on opposite sides of said axis and extending from each aperture to the respective outermost edge of the end of said sheet, said slits being at an angle to said axis.

2. A surgical dressing made of a sheet of absorbent material having a longitudinal axis, said material defining two apertures spaced apart and located along said axis, said material having two slits located on opposite sides of said axis and extending from each aperture to the respective outermost edge of the end of said sheet, said slits being at an angle to said axis, and said material being folded approximately in half such that the two apertures are in alignment.

3. A surgical dressing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slits are substantially parallel to one another.

The slits thus formed would be in align- 3 v 4 4. A surgical dressing as claimed in claim 1, wherein from each aperture to the respective outermost edge of the slits are substantially parallel with said longitudinal the end of said sheet, and aligning said apertures by foldaxis. ing over said sheet.

A Surgical dressing as claimed in claim wherein 7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the slits the absorbent material is thin sheet plastic foam.

6. A method of making a surgical dressing comprising the steps of forming a sheet of absorbent material having N references it d a longitudinal axis, perforating said sheet to form two apertures spaced apart and located along said axis, sever- ADELE M. EAGER,Primary Examiner. ing said sheet in two places forming two slits extending 10 5 are formed substantially parallel to one another. 

1. A SURGICAL DRESSING MADE OF A SHEET OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID MATERIAL DEFINING TWO APERTURES SPACED APART AND LOCATED ALONG SAID AXIS, SAID MATERIAL HAVING TWO SLITS LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID AXIS AND EXTENDING FROM EACH APERTURE TO THE RESPECTIVE OUTERMOST EDGE OF THE END OF SAID SHEET, SAID SLITS BEING AT AN ANGLE TO SAID AXIS. 